VietNamNet Bridge – During its 1000th anniversary, Hanoi will receive an estimated 800,000 domestic and international travelers. Some hotels in the capital city claim that there will be vacancies, others warn it will be difficult to find a room during the festivities.
Some hotel representatives pointed out that it’s the low season for tourism in the city and that, in the last few years, the number of clients has decreased considerably. Therefore, hotels have improved their ‘faces’ to prepare for great numbers of travelers during the celebration, including new wifi systems, free tourist maps, and updated room designs. 
A Hoa Binh Hotel staff member commented that it is very difficult to guess how many travelers will come, but he does not think hotel rooms will be lacking. “We still have a lot of rooms,” he admitted.
A Melia Hotel representative some days ago met with officials from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism on preparing rooms. “We affirmed that the hotel will not lack rooms for the occasion,” he claimed.
According to Doan Thi Thanh Tra, Head of the Marketing Division of Saigontourist, it is really difficult to book hotel rooms now. The travel firm has travelers who book tours late, just several days before the great festival. The solution has been to open tours to Ninh Binh and other areas to avoid “overloading” Hanoi.
“We have nearly 3000 international and domestic travelers, including 640 foreign travelers. They booked tours a long time ago, so we are not worried about room shortages,” Tra noted.
Duong Mai Lan, a senior executive of Vietravel Hanoi, maintained: “Though the great anniversary attracts a large number of travelers, we have not met any difficulties in booking hotel rooms and necessary services for travelers.”
“To date, 270 clients have booked tours with the firm so far. Everything is ready to provide travelers with the most attractive trips to Hanoi,” Lan maintained.
According to some travel firms, tourists will be affected because vehicles are banned on some routes. For example, people who want to visit President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum must walk a long distance, because of the ban in the area.
Meanwhile, tourists in the Old Quarter will also have to walk. The vehicle ban may also cause difficulties for people in traffic, causing congestion and affecting scheduled excursions.
The Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has forecast that the capital city will receive 700,000 - 800,000 tourists. Therefore, travel firms have not only designed tours in Hanoi, but also to neighbouring areas like Phu Tho, Ninh Binh, Bac Ninh, Ha Long Bay, as well as Sapa. The tours are believed to help Hanoi avoid overcrowding and also create favourable conditions for travelers to visit beautiful the region’s most famous landscapes and tourist sites.
